Selected notes from my notebook

Italy becomes at once calmer and more chaotic the farther south I move. Both the landscape and the people. Or is that the people react to the landscape? Outside Tivoli, a waterfall seems to pour into a village. My little regional train grumbles around and around and I wonder if we are going anywhere, and I hope we never arrive.

Italians are terrible at giving directions. They can talk for five minutes without saying anything useful. Sometimes they don't even use simple directional words like 'left' or 'right' (sinistra o destra), but just a lot of 'over there's' (la, la, la). However, they do say everything required with their hands. So if you pay attention and ask a new Italian at every block, you will become very confused and maybe, eventually, get where you are going. Actually, one of my favorite things about Italians is that they understand me more if I speak with my hands. The gesticulations are not extra, but part of the language.

I eat carbs and cheese for almost every meal and I have yet to see any negative effects. On the contrary, I feel wonderful.

Apertivi is a brilliant invention. You buy a cocktail and get a buffet. A whole dinner really. It would never work in the states because people would abuse it, but it's amazing.